Akademik Veri Yönetim Sistemi
Clinical Neurology and Neurosurgery, cilt.265, 2026 (SCI-Expanded, Scopus)
Objective To examine the association between temporal muscle thickness (TMT) and cognitive function, disease duration, and medication requirements in patients with Parkinson’s disease (PD). Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted on 54 patients with PD and 46 healthy controls. T1-weighted three-dimensional fast spoiled gradient echo axial brain MRI scans were reviewed by two radiologists, who independently measured the thickness of the right and left temporal muscles. Clinical evaluations included the Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS), Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), Hoehn and Yahr (HY) Scale, L -dopa equivalent daily dose (LEDD), and disease duration. Interobserver reliability for TMT measurements was assessed using the intraclass correlation coefficient. Spearman’s correlation was employed to examine associations between TMT and clinical parameters. Results Interobserver agreement for TMT measurements was excellent. No significant difference in TMT was observed between the PD and control groups on the right (p = 0.16) or left side (p = 0.34). Weak but statistically significant correlations were found between TMT and LEDD, and between TMT and disease duration, whereas no significant correlation was observed between TMT and UPDRS or HY scores. A weak but statistically significant positive correlation was observed between left TMT and MMSE scores (p = 0.038, r = 0.269). However, these associations did not remain significant in multivariable analyses after adjustment for age and sex. Conclusion In this correlational study, TMT showed weak associations with disease duration and LEDD in PD that were not significant after age adjustment, suggesting that TMT may reflect age-related vulnerability rather than an independent clinical marker.